A Spirited Snail Race

I wiggled out from the warm wool sock and slipped under the back patio door to catch the morning air! Out on a flat slate stepping stone, I ran into a real contender—a tiny brown garden snail gliding steadily along like an unstoppable heavyweight champion. Its spiral shell looked tough as armor! I dropped into a deep runner's crouch right beside its glossy slime trail, matching its measured pace step for step. Every time its antennae twitched, I nudged my boot forward an inch, keeping my knees bent in full focus. We pushed across that rough gray rock together until we hit the cool moss on the far side!